CHAPTER 21

LUCY'S POV

The blindfold that was wrapped around my eye was slowly taken off, permitting the hot rays of light to hit my face. I groaned, adjusting as much as I could to get a better posture on the chair.

“She’s awake. Call her,” the distant voice of a man said, his footsteps withdrawing further away from the room. My eyes fluttered, fighting to open. But it was too weak to take the light coming at it.

“You slept for too long, little one,” a second voice, which I didn’t know was close to me, said. His phone noisily dialed a number and it rang twice before a familiar female voice answered it.

“What?”

“Your daughter is awake,” the man said.

My mother?

*****

The screeching of tires sent the man beside me hurrying toward the door, and I didn’t need to see her before I knew she was the one. The door burst open, my mother strutting in line the older bitchy me she was. She halted mid-way and took off her shades, disgust etched on her face.

“Who amongst you tied my daughter to a chair?” She asked, but her question was received with silence. “I’ll ask again.., who amongst you…”

“I did. Forgive me Mrs. Lorreto,” the huge man apologized, quickly taking off the ropes and binding me to the chair, I winced in pain as I brought my hand forward, my muscles aching at every joint.

“What’s the meaning of this mum?” I asked her, taking my feet.

The heels of her shoes struck hard against the concrete as she made her way to me, reminding me of how dreadful she was and still is. She and my father are the reasons why I left home.

But I preferred my dad because he had that daughterly love in him, as for my mum, she loved her son, my elder brother.

“You’ve grown taller,” she said with a hand resting on my jaw.

“You’ve grown older,” I returned.

My father used to call me a mirror of my mother, and I guess that’s what made me start standing up to her most times. A small smile crawled around her lips, and I forced mine too. We didn’t last long intensely staring at each other before she pulled me into a surprise hug.

“Oh, how I’ve missed my little one!” She examined.

But that was a huge lie. I could even feel the pretense laced in her voice.

“Just say what you need,” I muttered with a little bit of struggle given how tight she was holding me. Her arms loosened around me and I slipped out of her cage. “Is this about the Creeks?”

“Ohh…honey! Why would you…”

“Stop the act Mother and speak,” I cut her short. Not just her, but her pretty act which she put up. Her smile faded, replaced with a dangerous look—one I’d hated to see on her all my years growing up in that house. “I knew it,”

“You, your father, and I have a lot to discuss,” she tossed my black home coat at me and began heading back to the car. The cost was a way of reminding me where I came from, but I didn’t that—because their blood was already running through my veins, day and night.

******

My mother's car pulled up at the garage at speed. I spotted my elder brother standing by the door of the hotel. I usually called him the family’s chosen, because he was their favorite. I got down from the car, and the first thing that hit me was the aroma of something sweet coming from the house.

My eyes fell on Adrian, who smiled at me with two nods. I chuckled, raced to him, and took his arms in a hug.

“You’ve grown tall,” Adrian said, placing a kiss on my head.

“Why’s everyone saying that? It’s just been a year since you all saw me,” I groaned, hitting his chest gently. “And you’ve grown fat,” I returned the tease to his desk. We were still in the middle of our laughter when I spotted my dad in the house.

My blood ran cold, my laughter fading into a look of fear. Did I say I preferred my dad?

Maybe on some days, but certainly not today.

“Quick, I made dinner,” Adrian pulled me through the other side of the house, thereby dodging Dad.

****

The dining table was silent for a full five minutes into dinner until my dad broke it.

“I heard you’re dating the Creek boy,” he said with food in his mouth. I stole a glance at him, then at Adrian and my mother who wasn’t even looking away from her food.

“Yes,” I answered.

“That’s good to hear,”

“Good to hear?” My mother sharply cut my dad's remark.

I settled in, gathering my strength to witness the drama unfold. It was almost like a tradition or some kind of curse. Whatever. But dinner with the Lorretos wasn’t going to be called dinner without quarrels.

“You think her dating the Creek boy isn’t good? Wait until she gets her hands on all that we couldn’t. Then I’ll remind you of how much you hate the idea,” my father returned.

“That boy is just like his father! You never can tell what they are thinking. You might think you’re ahead of him, but he’s ten steps ahead, planning faster and acting faster than you think, while you stand beside him deceiving yourself that you are smart,” my mother shot at me.

“Lucy isn’t you, Harriet,” my father said calmly, but I felt the heat of that. “That Morgan Creek was able to deceive or fool you doesn’t mean that would happen to our lovely daughter. She’s smart, just like her dad. But you…you were blinded by love,” my father sounded like he was having fun taunting my mum.

The cutleries dropped from her hand, clattering on the plate as she turned to my father. Her eyes were bright blue, her canines growing out with a low menacing growl. But my dad didn’t flinch.

“I’ll keep that away from the table if I were you,” he said, sipping his wine.

“You two, that’s enough,” Adrian chirped in. I didn’t want him to, because I was enjoying it. But he insisted against my nudge. “We haven’t even asked Princess here if she’s doing great with the plan. How about we jump to conclusions after doing that,”

I turned to him in shock. He sounded so reasonable, yet a lot like my parents.

“You sound just like them,” I rolled my eyes, pushing away from the chair and tossing the napkin back to the table as I made my way for the door. “I have somewhere I must be at midnight. If you need anything, then call instead of kidnapping me,” I said nonchalantly.

I opened the door to the exit only to bump into Adrain again.

“What the hell!” I exclaimed, stealing a look back at the table.

“I’m sorry princess, but you’re not leaving tonight,” he said.

******